CHAPTER 14

It's 11:37 at Cobblepot Mansion, and the Mayor is sleeping soundly, oblivious to everything around him. Oblivious of what's lurking outside. He's probably dreaming of living in a palace, worshiped as a god by peasants and bathing in endless riches. It would be a good dream for him. Unfortunately it wouldn't last long.

Glass shatters somewhere in the house. Mayor Cobblepot springs awake, looking around, paranoid. No one is around.

"Hello?" he calls. "What just happened?"

His butler walks in, turning the lights on. "I'm not sure, sir," he answers.

"Get on it!" Cobblepot yells.

"Yes, sir."

The butler walks around to the back end of the house, and sees the giant skylight window shattered.

From the other end of the mansion, Cobblepot hears from his butler. "Sir, it looks like someone-"

His voice muffles out, and the Mayor hears the sound of property breaking. Then he hears the butler scream in agony for a few seconds, until everything goes quiet.

Terrified, Cobblepot calls out "Hello?!" Nobody answers. Hastily, he runs over to his cabinet and pulls out a handgun, already loaded. He cocks the gun, ready to shoot anyone who jumps out.

But no one does. He's just left standing there, under the flourescent lights of the bedroom.

That is, until the lights suddenly go out.

Panicked, he looks all around, pointing the gun wherever he looks.

"WHO'S THERE?!" he yells, terror in his voice. "I SAID WHO'S THERE?!"

"You knew this was coming."

Cobblepot's blood turns to ice at the sound of the voice. This voice was deep and quiet, but there was something… off about it. It was cold, demented. Somehow it didn't even sound fully human.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Cobblepot yells. The voice doesn't respond.

Hastily, he grabs a telephone and starts to dial 911. He yells into the phone. "SOMEONE HAS BROKEN INTO MY-"

Something crashes through the ceiling, and Cobblepot is grabbed by the arm and thrown down onto the ground, losing grip of his gun. He starts to get up, but is shoved down by the dark figure.

"Admit what you did," the dark figure says.

Cobblepot's vision clears, and he gets a better look at this figure: he could see the outline of a man, but with long devilish ears sticking out the top of his head and what looks to be a long cape draped over it.

In a last resort, the Mayor tries to grab his gun, but the figure's foot crashes down and starts crushing his hand. He screams in agony.

He feels pain like he's never felt before. Good.

"...please…. What do you want?" he manages to get out. "What do you want with me?"

So he wants to be difficult. Pity on him.

The figure grinds his foot into his hand more, and Cobblepot screams even louder.

The man in the dark speaks again. "I want you to admit to the public what you did."

Gotham's Mayor starts sweating anxiously. "...I have no idea what you're talking about…."

The man in the dark grabs the Mayor by the throat, and picks him up, shoving him up against the wall. The two are now eye-to-eye.

"You illegally sold weapons to mob dealers in exchange for profit."

"I did not-" he's cut off my a sharp jab to his gut. "...please, I-" he feels one of his fingers get popped out of its socket.

"Admit what you did, and I guarantee that this will be a lot less painful for you."

"NO!" Cobblepot feels another finger dislocated. He yelps.

"Clearly you aren't willing to comply right now. So I'll give you one chance: admit to the public what you did, or I'll come after you. And I can guarantee that your death will not be quick."

The man finishes, and Cobblepot is dropped, panting with anguish.

"You have twenty-four hours. I'm a man of my word."

The man in the dark turns away, starting to walk out of the room.

"WAIT!" Cobblepot calls out.

The man turns back around to face the mayor.

"...what are you?" Cobblepot asks, his voice shaking.

The person Gotham deserves. That's what I am.

I walk away, leaving Cobblepot in the dark.

If I weren't an honest person, I would tell you that I didn't want to hurt anybody. That I just wanted to get Cobblepot to confess to his wrongs. That I didn't want any trouble. But you know just as well as I do that I have no regrets.

Tonight, I finally felt fulfilled. And dare I say it's a good feeling.